Shohei Ohtani threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out 11 to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Ohtani went 0-for-3 with a walk at the plate, but got offensive support from Mike Trout (RBI double) and Luis Rengifo (two-run homer) as the Angels took two of three in the series.
Ohtani, who has 24 strikeouts in his past two starts, has not allowed a run in his past three outings, extending his scoreless-innings streak to 21 2/3. The last run he allowed came in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox on June 9.
The 27-year-old right-hander is 4-0 with a 0.34 ERA (one earned run in 26 2/3 innings) with 36 strikeouts and six walks in his past four starts. Overall, Ohtani has not allowed a run in five of his 13 starts this season.
Ohtani gave up five hits and one walk but was removed from the game after he struck out Gavin Sheets for the second out of the sixth inning, having thrown a season-high-tying 108 pitches.
The White Sox finished with seven hits, four of them from Jose Abreu. Chicago’s only run of the game was unearned, as Luis Robert reached on an eighth-inning throwing error by shortstop Andrew Velazquez and later scored on a wild pitch by Ryan Tepera.
Raisel Iglesias pitched a scoreless ninth for his 15th save of the season.
The Angels took the lead against White Sox starter Michael Kopech quickly, getting a leadoff single by Taylor Ward and an RBI double from Trout in the bottom of the first inning.
After Ohtani walked, Jared Walsh hit a grounder to the first baseman Abreu, who threw to second to force out Ohtani. In an attempt to get the double play, Kopech, covering first base, couldn’t handle the relay throw from shortstop Tim Anderson, allowing Trout to score. Kopech was charged with an error and the Angels had a 2-0 lead.
Kopech (2-5) settled in and kept the game at 2-0 until the sixth, when he gave up a one-out single to Walsh and a two-run homer by Rengifo, giving the Angels a 4-0 lead. The long ball was Rengifo’s fourth of the year.
That spelled the end of the night for Kopech, who went 5 1/3 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and two walks. He struck out six while making 99 pitches.
–Field Level Media
